Inside Job (FNAF: SB Rewrite)

Chapter 25 - Protective Cylinder

I gave Monty a quick spiel on what happened. I found Bowtie and the tape, eavesdropped on Vanny talking with Roxy, and learned that Vanny was planning to upgrade Roxy in just a few minutes. He was reluctant to believe Bowtie's story. Monty claimed that there was no such toy production, and if there was, Bonnie wouldn't have hidden it away. It's not like he could argue much though, because Bowtie's very existence proved him wrong.

From the balcony, we could see Chica dragging Roxy towards the stage. She was still fighting against it, but Chica's arms had pulled back, forcing hers behind her back. If Roxy had nerves, I'd imagine it would be painful to be positioned like that. We were far away, so it was hard to see the details, but Monty finally got his first look at his damaged friends.

As Monty raced down one of the escalators, I spotted Vanny walking out of Roxy's Raceway.

"Wait, stop!" I loudly whispered, pulling Monty back as if he were a horse. "What?" he said, his voice lowering to match my volume.

"Vanny! It's walking out of Roxy's Raceway, and Chica's turned this way. We're never going to make it to parts in service without them seeing us," I said. Chica was walking backwards letting Roxy's feet claw the floor and she pulled her, though she seemed so focused on bringing Roxy to parts and service that I wasn't sure if she would spot us. Still, I didn't want to take our chances.

"I-I don't see it," Monty said, scanning the area. That's right, Roxy was the only one who could see it, until I gave her eyes to Freddy.

"I do! It's right there!" Bowtie said, not hushing down like how Monty and I did. I had several thoughts running through my mind, particularly about how and why Bowtie can see Vanny, but there were more pressing matters at hand to worry about.

"There's gotta be another way around," I said, trying to think of a plan.

Monty shook his head, "All the entrances to parts and service are through the atrium. We need a distraction."

"Oh!" I gasped with an idea. "Bowtie, what if you talked to Vanny to slow it down?"

Bowtie sneered, "You want to put the animatronic with no legs next to the one hijacking all the machinery? No dice!" I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't really argue with that. It was likely Vanny would get its grubby hands on it, and then Bowtie would also be infected like Chica and Roxy.

Vanny was making its way to the same escalator we were on. In my panic I had forgotten that Vanny was planning to retrieve the claws from the hidden backroom before going to parts and service, which of course put us right in its path. We wasted too much time. Next time, I won't try to think of a plan, I thought to myself sarcastically. Impulse had saved me many times inside this facility. "Go back! It's coming up," I told Monty. We went back up to the floor, but he knelt down and waited for me to get off his back.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked.

"You hide, once it passes, get to parts and service as fast as possible," Monty said, shaking my shoulders a bit in reassurance.

"But what about you?"

"I have a plan, just go," he demanded, pushing me away.

Was he going to stay behind? I couldn't really do this alone. Even if one was to ignore how erratic my functionality was after my head injury, what was I supposed to do if I showed up to parts and service alone and Chica and Roxy were already there? I needed Monty to be there or else they'd tear me apart.

Vanny should almost be at the turn, where the two escalators connected on a small platform that changed directions. I had to go.

There was a photo booth not far, and I sprinted towards it, but I collapsed onto the seating area once I made it. My running just made me feel lightheaded and dizzy. I struggled to push myself up and close the curtains behind me. I heard Monty walk around. If I had to guess, he was trying to act inconspicuous, as if he wasn't aware of Vanny's presence. Out of nervousness, my hands gripped into tight fists, and Bowtie looked at me angrily. It didn't want to say it out loud in fear of alerting Vanny, but it very clearly wasn't a fan of being in my hand with my grasp tightening. I placed it back on my hat like I had done in the air shaft beneath the bowling alley.